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Building Your Block
A newsletter course from LAist that explains the obstacles around housing development in L.A. and what you can do to make things better.
We know there’s a housing shortage in L.A., and it’s created major challenges for the region. But try to understand how to fix the problem and it gets murky, fast. We need more housing, but where can we actually build it? Why does it seem like all the new buildings going up are luxury apartments? Why isn’t there enough affordable housing? And most importantly: What can you actually do to support the housing you want to see in L.A.?
These are just some of the questions that Building Your Block will tackle in this seven-issue newsletter course.
Think of it as your starter guide to the conversations L.A. is having about housing development, plus we’ll bring you some real talk on what you can do to advocate for the housing future you want.
What can I expect?
Over seven issues, we’ll cover everything from how zoning rules determine what gets built and where, to why there’s so little affordable housing.
We’ll cap it all off with a long list of ideas you can put into action to influence housing decisions in your backyard, your city and beyond.
How often will you email me?
This newsletter has seven issues in total. Once you sign up, you’ll get one new issue a day until it’s done.
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Many of the problems identified were at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, the public agency known as LAHSA. -
The mortality rate rose 1% in 2023 over the previous year. That’s about 2,500 deaths of unhoused people in Los Angeles County in 2023, 45% of which were caused by drug overdoses. -
The proposal mirrors a similar move by L.A. County leaders, who have also criticized LAHSA for oversight and accounting problems. -
Cities are cracking down on homeless encampments after a recent state Supreme Court decision gave them the greenlight to do so. -
Executives with potential conflicts of interest will no longer appear on the signature lines of contracts, the L.A. homelessness services agency says. The change to LAHSA procedures was outlined after LAist found the CEO signed a $2.1 million contract with her husband’s employer. -
More than 90,000 L.A. County households rely on the Housing Choice Voucher program, or Section 8, to afford housing in the private market.
